Plea to ‘angry’ Wentworth voters not to risk instability

Wentworth by-election tipped to cause havoc

The West Australian

VideoFew by-elections carry as much significance for the nation as the vote in Wentworth, with the Federal Government's majority out of its hands.Video: Picture: News Corp

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has pleaded with “grumpy” Liberal voters in Malcolm Turnbull’s former seat of Wentworth not to risk the instability of a hung Parliament ahead of today’s must-win by-election.

In a last-ditch bid to salvage the Liberal Party’s campaign for the inner-Sydney seat, Mr Morrison warned that high-profile independent candidate Kerryn Phelps had not ruled out bringing down the Federal Government if elected.

The coalition faces losing its one-seat majority in Parliament after a difficult final week of Liberal candidate Dave Sharma’s campaign.

Mr Turnbull held the safe seat for the Liberals by a margin of 17.7 per cent before he quit after August’s leadership spill, setting up a tricky first electoral test for his more conservative successor.

Despite having previously guaranteed confidence and supply to the Government if elected, Dr Phelps yesterday did not rule out supporting a no-confidence motion.

However, the Wentworth frontrunner insisted she was a safe pair of hands and believed the Government should run its full term, even though there was “momentum for change”.

“An independent and crossbencher is there to hold government to account, not to hold government to ransom,” Dr Phelps said.

Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek scoffed at Mr Morrison’s warning, saying it was “impossible” to argue a vote for the Liberal Party was a vote for stability.